Ever chrome plate an exhaust system?

[Huffa]

I'm just curious what it cost to do so, pertaining to the header and back pipe but not the muffler.

This would be a pipe in real good condition with no rust.

[EZ in NZ]

I've never chromed any off road pipes but I used to chrome plate my road bike/custom stuff. It will blue over time around the header. The heat causes them all to do it eventually. Some guys don't mind the look, some hate it. Something to be aware of. I don't use chrome on exhausts any more. Everything I own gets ceramic coated. (HPC, Jet Hot etc). They have a great color range and I like the polished aluminium finish. Looks like your pipes are made of alloy when done. Superb heat barriers that triple the life of your pipes.

Anyway, chrome can look great but can be high maintenance too.

[Huffa]

Ceramic coating comes in colors? I didn't know that.

You have any good pictures of yours?

[x.system]

I've had a couple pipes chromed and would advise against it. It looks great until you use it. Its expensive, If you want it to look good and last go with Ceramic coating. I don't know what ceramic costs but if its close to what chrome costs its well worth it.

[250rsteve]

the pipe on my tecate has been ceramic coated,.

[Huffa]

the pipe on my tecate has been ceramic coated,.

Thanks for the pic but honestly I can't tell that it's coated. Looks like a chrome pipe to me which is good because that's what I am after.

So what "color" would that be called and how much approx?

I saw your Tecate before but it deserves another Nice job, veeeery nice.

Nicest one I saw for sure. Not to get off my main subject but do you have before pictures of it ?

[BIGCRIP28]

my exhaust came chromed(350x). its been sitting outside under a roof for a few months and it never rusted yet, and it is very humid around here and it gets dewy pretty often.

[EZ in NZ]

My pipes on my custom bike look exactly like that nice pipe on 250rsteves bike.

It looks great.

Check out the HPC website for color ranges:

http://www.hpcoatings.com/hipercoat.htm

Not extensive but still a fantastic product.

There are similar companies doing the same thing. ProCoat and Jethot are 2 that I know of.

[nouseforaname90]

How much does this cost?

[250rsteve]

Thanks for the compliments, I paid $150 to have the pipe coated. The guy just called it ceramic chrome, looks more like polished aluminum than chrome. I had the headers on my car done and they kept the engine bay a lot cooler than before I coated them.

[chris200x]

$150??? For another couple of bucks you can get a DG chrome exhuast. Is there any way to get rid of the blueing that occurs at the header. Not that I mind it at all just wondering.

[EZ in NZ]

Yeah, it's not that cheap but this isn't just an appearance coating. The ceramic coating dissipates heat at a rapid pace. It's amazing how quickly 'cool to the touch' headers become with this stuff on them. Because it's a thermal barrier, the steel fatigues at a much slower rate. Less extremes in hot to cold on the steel - a bad thing for metal.

Before I start sounding like a salesman for these companies I'll just add that a ceramic coated pipe (remember, they do the coating outside AND in) will last a lot longer than a chrome pipe. I'd go so far as to say 2 to 3 times the lifespan. This makes it great value for money IMO.

Custom guys have been trying to find ways to avoid the blueing on chrome headers for years. Kreem (the tank lining guys) make a product. It doesn't work - don't waste your money. Some guys have had limited success with spraying BBQ paint on the inside of their pipes as a barrier. This works for a while but the heat eventually gets to it., it fulls off and you're back where you started.

Any engine running lean will blue them quicker too.